Franklin County road salt prices among highest in PA

A front-end loader puts road salt into a dump truck on Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at the PennDOT shed in Scotland. A mix of snow and freezing rain is expected in the area this week.(Photo: Markell DeLoatch, Public Opinion)Buy Photo

HARRISBURG -- The price of road salt in Franklin County has dropped 25 percent this season, but local road crews will still be paying among the highest prices in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and most local municipalities will pay $66 a ton for delivery to sites in Franklin County.

The price of nearly $88 a ton in Franklin County was the highest in the state last year.

This year, the county is paying the sixth highest price. The average price for sodium chloride in Pennsylvania is $59.75 a ton, down 17 percent from $71.93 per ton last year.

“We saw an overall decrease because of the mild winter we had last winter,” said Troy Thompson, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of General Services. DGS runs the state auction for road salt.

Salt suppliers also consider how much salt the customer needs and how far the customer is from the port where their salt is delivered in bulk.

PennDOT is on track to save more than $200,000 from what had been budgeted to keep state roads open in Franklin County. In the eight counties of District 8-0, PennDOT projects savings are $1.7 million.

Municipalities that buy their road salt by piggybacking on the state contract also will save.

Franklin County road crews among the highest prices for salt in Pennsylvania.(Photo: PennDOT)

Greene Township could see a savings of about $22,000 over last year.

“Last year we didn’t use as much as in the prior two years,” Greene Township Supervisor Todd Burns said. “We store about 1,000 tons a year. We had some left from last year and are fully stocked this year. We’re always ready for whatever Mother Nature decides to bring us.”

Icing events eat up more materials than heavy snows, according to local road supervisors.

“I know last year we put more material down in the nuisance snows than we did in the big three-foot snow,” Burns said. “The nuisance ones are the ones that eat up the material. In the heavy snows, you’re trying to keep the roads open. When you get into drifting, it really gets into eating your materials.”

Before running the roads Friday night, plows had been out already this season for at least one minor storm with spotty icing.

“I’d sooner plow a foot of snow than fool around with this stuff,” Hamilton Township Supervisor Michael Kessinger said. “This whole season is going to be like this, a bunch of little ones. We’re in good shape. I haven’t taken any delivery on the contract this year. My bins are full. You plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

Accuweather is calling for frequent storms across the Northeast this winter, unlike last season when most of winter’s snowfall fell in a few heavy-hitting storms. AccuWeather Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said the Philadelphia-Baltimore region is likely to see a handful of changeover systems, where falling snow transitions to rain and sleet. The winter also will last into the early or middle part of spring with above average snowfall..

The Borough of Chambersburg keeps about 450 tons of salt and gravel on hand for slippery streets, according to Assistant Borough Manager David Finch.

“We purchase our salt supplies off of the state contract, as they generally find the lowest price, and they save the borough from the time and expense of going through the bidding process,” Finch said.

Municipalities joining the COSTARS contract are also guaranteed deliveries before those contracting independently. During shortages in harsh winters, independent municipalities can be socked with high prices on the spot market.

In a typical season, PennDOT applies 3 tons of sodium chloride to each lane-mile of state road in the county. The state maintains nearly 1,400 lane-miles in the county. PennDOT has 6,355 tons of road salt stored in its eight stockpiles in the county.

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PennDOT employee Eddie Blair uses a front-end loader to put road salt into a dump truck on Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at the PennDOT shed in Scotland. A mix of snow and freezing rain is expected in the area this week.(Photo: Markell DeLoatch, Public Opinion)

Prices jumped more than 30 percent in 2015-16 after two harsh winters when Southern states snapped up supplies to fight the plunging polar vortex. PennDOT in both years spread just about double its typical amount of salt in south-central Pennsylvania.

This year’s price is slightly below the price of two years ago. In 2014, users in Franklin County paid $68 a ton. The local price, however, remains about a third higher than the 2007-08 price of $50 a ton.

Last year Morton won the contract to deliver salt in Franklin County. This year, it is Cargill.

The state awarded contracts to five suppliers to deliver road salt to the 67 counties. Last year there were only three successful bidders.

PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards said PennDOT and municipalities buying on the state contract saved $17.5 million in part because the state changed its bidding procedure for road salt. The state held a live, reverse auction. The state used last year’s prices as a ceiling prices. Six suppliers bid down the prices. American Rock Salt won in 32 counties, Cargill in 18, Morton in 12, Eastern Salt in three and Detroit Salt in two. The highest price was $77 per ton in Centre County, and the lowest was $41 in Tioga County.

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Road salt ireserves are seen Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at the PennDOT shed in Scotland. A mix of snow and freezing rain is expected in the area this week.(Photo: Markell DeLoatch, Public Opinion)